We rejected $1m bribe to impeach Fayose, say lawmakers

Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday disclosed that they were being offered $1 million as a bribe to commence impeachment process against Governor Ayodele Fayose.

The Assembly members, who vowed not to collaborate with anyone to truncate the government of Fayose, added that they were prepared to spend the rest of their tenure in DSS cell, instead of joining people they roundly defeated in five straight elections to cause another political instability in Ekiti State.

Addressing a press on yesterday, Chairman of the House Committee on
Information, Gboyega Aribisogan, disclosed: “In the last four days, eight of our members had been visited by some men, who claimed to be officials of the DSS.

“Our members were told that their names were among those to be
arrested and they must ‘cooperate’ if they do not want their bank accounts frozen and be kept in DSS detention indefinitely.”

The lawmakers said the 2006 experience, in which Assembly members in Ekiti State were hounded in EFCC detention and made to sign impeachment of Governor Fayose on the table of the EFCC chairman will never be repeated in the state.

Aribisogan, who was flanked by 12 other members of the House of Assembly said: “We are here to inform the public through your various media the open involvement of men of the Department of State Service (DSS) from Abuja in the plot to unseat our governor, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose.”

Following the arrest of the lawmakers and top government functionaries, the State Executive Council (SEC) has accused the Federal Government of
“plotting coup” against the government of Fayose.

The council charged the international community, civil society organizations and all lovers of democracy to prevail on President
Muhammadu Buhari to ensure immediate release of the lawmakers and top government functionaries arrested by DSS for yet to be ascertained reasons.

The SEC said it was illegal and unconstitutional for the DSS to have
hounded the victims into cells, when nothing incriminating were found
on them, describing this scenario as the highest point of political
vendetta against the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Consequently, the House of Representatives has summoned the Director-General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, over last week’s alleged invasion and subsequent arrest of four members of Ekiti House of Assembly.